I. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a golf putter. More specifically, the invention concerns a practice golf putter for improving a golfer""s putting stroke.
II. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional golf putter typically includes a shaft and a head having a flat hitting surface. The head and shaft are arranged whereby a right-handed user would hit the ball with a conventional swing from right to left. The conventional design of putters positions the bottom edge of the hitting surface at ground level. There is a tendency for the ground to interfere with a desired stroke if contact is made with the ground. Thus when putting on a green, the user typically raises the putter slightly so that the hitting surface does not touch the putting surface usually referred to as the green. Many different types of golf putters have been developed for improving one""s putting stroke.
One such golf putter is U.S. Pat. No. 5,207,721 issued to Lobdell. Lobdell teaches a putter having an elongated head with an axle adapted for supporting a pair of coaxial rotatable wheels. The wheels are used to roll the putter in the direction of a sight line extending outwardly from the shaft. The hitting surface has a convex radius and the ball is stroked by pushing the shaft toward the ball. A disadvantage of this putter is that a user cannot utilize the conventional left to right putter swing with this putter.
Another putter is U.S. Pat. No. 4,688,799 issued to Johnson which teaches a putter having a rotatable circular roller mounted on either the toe or the heel of the golf club. The roller prevents friction with the ground by raising the head so that the hitting surface does not touch the green in a stroke. A disadvantage, however, is that the single roller does not improve the straightness of one""s putting stroke.
Another putter is U.S. Pat. No. 3,319,964 issued to Steinburg. Steinburg teaches a practice putter having an axle extending across the head parallel to the hitting surface and having a rotatable wheel on each end of the axle. The wheel raises the hitting surface above the green and allows straight putting strokes. A disadvantage is that the putter head is raised above the ground at the level according to the radius of the wheel. As such, the practice putter is disadvantageous in teaching the user to develop a putting stroke having an ideal spacing between the head and the green.
None of the prior art teaches an improved putter as taught by the present invention.
Thus, it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a practice putter which can improve a golfer""s ability to determine the level of height above the ground to hold his putter in a putting stroke. It is another objective of the present invention to provide a practice putter which can improve a golfer""s ability to develop a straight putting stroke. Another objective of the present invention is to provide a practice putter which can be adjusted to be similar to a golfer""s regular putter.
The present invention is a practice putter for improving a golfer""s putting game. The golfer first uses the practice putter of the present invention to develop his putting stroke. The golfer can use the same putting stroke used with the practice putter using his own game putter to maximize the accuracy of his putts.
To assist the golfer in switching from the practice putter to the game putter, the practice putter emulates many of the standard features of conventional putters. The practice putter has a conventional grip attached to a conventional shaft. The shaft is connected to a head having a bottom surface, top surface, and one or more hitting surface orthogonal to the top surface. The head-shaft angle is the angle formed by the top surface of the head and the shaft. Different golf clubs have varying head-shaft angles. Also, the length of the putters differs among various putters. It is important that the head-shaft angle and length of the practice putter closely resemble that of a golfer""s game putter. Thus, both the length of the shaft and the head-shaft angle of the practice putter are adjustable.
In a putting stroke, it is important to maintain the head at a constant level of height above the putting green. Furthermore, the putting stroke should be a straight sweeping motion. To assist the golfer develop this motion, the head comprises at least two balls mounted in the bottom surface, which protrudes outwardly therefrom. Each ball is mounted on an axle so that it revolves only in the direction perpendicular to the hitting surface. Also, each ball is mounted to move inwardly with the application of a predetermined amount of pressure thereon by a shock system. Furthermore, the bottom surface of the head has a concave middle portion and, each ball is preferably positioned adjacent the opposed ends of the concave middle portion. To use the practice putter properly, the bottom surface of each ball must be touching the putting surface at all times as the head is rolled along the green in a straight line toward the target golf ball. The middle portion is concave at a predetermined radius so that the hitting surface will ideally strike the center of mass of the golf ball when the practice putter is used properly.